August 05, 2013

I can't tell you how many times a day I hear these words. Since the end of school my children have developed a true passion (obsession) for these cards. In June, Julien and I had picked up some used cards for Maximilien who had started talk about them pretty much everyday after school. As we are some of the youngest parents in the class the other kids have older siblings who have already passed down their wisdom of Pokemon cards to their younger siblings. Maximilien came home talking ot us about PV (HP), powers, strength, EX, X, evolution and so much more... my head started to spin as Alixe started to copy her brother and wanted her own set of cards as well. Luckily, I have a friend who had twin boys who are nearing the end of the Pokemon phase. They are 11 years old. Though she told me they still play sometimes and that I should never get rid of any cards until Maximilien decides it is time. I have been talking to other parents about this and some say the Pokemon card trend lasts a couple years starting at the end of grande section (kindergarden) and going all the way through the end of elementry school. Once the kids go off to collège (middle school), the Pokemon card trend ends. Sometimes...

My brother, William who was born in 1984 missed the trend of the Pokemon cards. I am not sure when it started though I do remember watching the Pokemon cartoon a few times at the University Kansas because some people were watching the cartoon on the floor's tv. I admit Pikachu is cute.

So, it's been les cartes pokémon this and les carte pokémon that... "Can I have my pokemon cards on the bus?" "Can I have my pokemon cards at the dinner table?" "Can you bring my pokemon cards when you pick me up from school?" Beause they have been forbidden from school because of kids getting too worked up over trading cards and who has this card and that card. Maximilien actually had a rare EX card and didn't realize the value of the card and had a classmate trick him out of it. We were able to get the card back eventually and then Max had some lessons about Pokemon cards from my friend's sons and now he knows if he has an EX card. They stay at home.

These cards have become an integral part of Max and Alixe's play lately. Maximilien and Alixe actually play pretty well together when they play Pokemon. Julien and I don't know the rules to the game as they change each time they play. I know alixe likes the cute cards like Pikachu which she has two cards and she is always looking at them and carrying them around with her. Maximilien is really into drawing the Pokemon characters which I love bcause I find that he is a very talented artist. He loves to draw and color and I prefer a millions time that he sit down to drawn than watch tv or play on his iPod. I do have to limit the card play because they will start fighting and we have periods of the day when the cards have to be put away. It is funny that I know so much about these cards but only other mothers of boys this age can relate.

With Max's discovery of Pokemon cards he has gotten back into drawing again. This makes me so happy beacuse I really think he is a talented artist. I am really looking forward to see how his drawing skills evolve over the coming school year. I have found him a comic book drawing class where over the school year they will work on comic book drawing skills and story writing. At the end of the year they will publish their own bande desinée (comic book).

My friend's sons gave Maximilien a huge stash of Korean Pokemon cards which Max is very proud to have because no one else at school has them. I've started to teach Max the Korean alphabet and as you can see he is starting to learn to write in Korean. It's going to be an interesting year language wise for us.